You can bet Damien Cook's pretty high on a couple of those lists - the Panthers, the Dragons, the Bulldogs for starters - but the Helensburgh Tigers have certainly never lost a bigger fish.

Tigers stalwart Col Doran will only half-sarcastically tell you he's had a few other quality Tigers lured away, but he's surely never been happier to see one running around in rival colours.

"The first year at the [Illawarra] Cutters they had some pretty good players down here so I wasn't in the first couple of choices at that stage," Cook recalls

"I didn't get picked for round one so I went back and played a trial with Helensburgh and that's what footy was looking like for me.

"I'd spoken to Col a couple of times on the phone and Helensburgh was always going to be the club I played for if that's the way it went.

"I got picked in the Cutters side the week after that though so that was it."

Now one of the first picked for NSW and the Kangaroos, it's remarkable to think that Doran was the only one ringing his phone off the hook when Cook returned to the Burgh in 2012 after two NYC seasons with Penrith.

Even stranger to think he wasn't in the top couple of choices for the Cutters back then either. He debuted at WIN Stadium for St George Illawarra a year later, the first of just nine top-grade appearances in three seasons.

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His rise to superstardom, and the incredible determination that's marked it, is well known but warrants re-telling as he prepares to return to WIN Stadium in a green and gold jumper.

It'll be a vastly different experience to his previous outings at the venue that came in front of just a handful of diehards.

"We had a good little following with the Cutters when we came into the competition but it's definitely a different atmosphere playing reserve grade there with a couple of hundred people," Cook said.

"This Friday night it's going to be packed out. It is pretty special to get the opportunity to wear the green and gold jersey at WIN Stadium where I played all my junior footy in the Illawarra.

"I played my junior reps there and I'd say it was one of my favourite grounds growing up. All I wanted to do was play there for the Dragons.

"I did that, but to be going back there in the green and gold jersey, it's going to be a special night. I'll have a lot of family and friends there.

"You always remember the people who've helped you along the way, especially family and my partner. When you get those rep jerseys you play for them when you're out there."

And as for that long-awaited Tigers debut... you can bet Doran still has his number.

"You never know," Cook said.

"I love Rex Jackson Oval, it's where I used to go all the time after school and kick the ball around. There might be a time I can get back there and play for the hometown.

"Hopefully it's after a good long career in the NRL but we'll see how we go."